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Healthy Travel Diet: The Best Food to Eat on the Road

This road-trip food is healthy and tasty — not that you'd think of having anything else! Pull over and eat at these restaurants guilt-free.

From the editors of Fitness

Boneheads

Fact: Each day about one in four Americans eats at least one meal at a fast-food restaurant. If that number includes you, check out these healthy meal choices.

Let's start with Boneheads.Here's what they serve: Fresh grilled fish and chicken fire-grilled with Piri Piri sauce, made with spicy chilies from South Africa.

Where you'll find them: In California, Florida, and Georgia. In the next two years, they plan to open in North Carolina and expand in Florida, Georgia, and California (eatboneheads.com).

What to Order

Boneheads offers four types of fish, including mahi mahi and grouper. You pick one of three toppings to accompany the fish — we like the pineapple salsa — and a choice of one side. Go for grilled zucchini strips or chilled marinated broccoli.

Roasted portobello mushroom over a house salad with dressing on the side.

O'Naturals

What they serve: Started by the CEO of the Stonyfield Farm dairy company, O'Naturals offers fresh, organic, and natural sandwiches, salads, soups, and pizzas. All of their meats are hormone- and antibiotic-free.

Where you'll find them: Currently, there are four restaurants: two in Maine and one each in Massachusetts and Kansas. By 2009, O'Naturals plans to add 11 more locations nationwide (onaturals.com).

What to Order

You can build your own salad or sandwich, but check out these menu items too:

Evos

What they serve: This restaurant's motto is "Feel Great Fast Food" because they offer healthier versions of menu classics, such as fries — on the EVOS menu they're called "Airfries" because they're baked instead of being deep-fried.

Where you'll find them: Right now, just in Florida and Las Vegas. But in the next year, EVOS plans to open 12 new eateries on the West Coast, with more to follow out East (evos.com).

Topz

What they serve: The leanest burgers in America, according to the company's Web site. If you don't like beef, there are plenty of alternatives: You can get turkey, chicken, veggie, or fish burgers or sandwiches.

Where you'll find them: In California, Texas, and Michigan. In the upcoming year, they'll open restaurants in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

What to Order

Chili (full order): made with lean ground beef and served with cheese and chopped onions (220 calories, 10g fat).

Noodles & Company

What they serve: No surprise here — lotsa noodles, all Asian-, Mediterranean-, or American-inspired. They also offer salads and soups. Bonus: Every dish is offered in two sizes — regular and small, including the delicious mac 'n' cheese.

Where you'll find them: All over the Midwest, with a few restaurants in California and Oregon, and more in the Washington, D.C., metro area. By 2008, Noodles & Company plans on opening 35 new restaurants (noodles.com).

Moe's Southwest Grill

What they serve: Mexican — burritos, tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, nachos, and salads. Vegetarians can also eat happy. Moe's offers a choice of tofu in all of their burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. Bonus: If you go to moes.com, you can see the nutrition information for meals customized to your liking (for instance, the burrito minus the guac). So take your cell!

Where you'll find them: In 35 states and Washington, D.C. (go to moes.com/locations.aspx for specific locations).

Baja Fresh Mexican Grill

What they serve: This chain's slogan is "Built Baja Fresh," which means the food isn't frozen, microwaved, or out of a can and the tortillas are lard-free. However, read the menu carefully: A chicken quesadilla has 1,330 calories — that alone could be more than two-thirds of your daily caloric intake.

Where you'll find them: Baja Fresh has 291 locations around the United States. For restaurant locations, log on to bajafresh.com.